Officials linked to al-Sadr deny he fled  —  BAGHDAD, Iraq - Supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr said Wednesday that the radical Shiite cleric was still in Iraq, denying a report that he fled to Iran ahead of a security crackdown targeting his militia.  —  An Iraqi government official said al-Sadr …

Libby and Cheney Won't Testify, Says the Defense  —  Lawyers defending I. Lewis Libby Jr. against perjury charges surprised the courtroom on Tuesday by saying that they would rest their case this week and do so without putting on the stand either Mr. Libby or Vice President Dick Cheney.

Tough Questions We Were Right to Ask  —  Promoters of the "Bush Lied, People Died" line claim that the recent Pentagon inspector general's report concerning my former office's work on Iraq intelligence supports their cause.  What the IG actually said is a different story.

House Democrats' New Strategy: Force Slow End to War  —  Led by Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Pa., and supported by several well-funded anti-war groups, the coalition's goal is to limit or sharply reduce the number of U.S. troops available for the Iraq conflict, rather than to openly cut off funding for the war itself.

Explosion kills 18 in Iran  —  A car loaded with explosives blew up near a bus carrying members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards in southeastern Iran, killing 18 of them, the state-run news agency reported today.  —  The car stopped in front of the bus near Zahedan …

Press Briefing by Tony Snow  —  White House Conference Center Briefing Room  —  MR. SNOW: Let me begin with a statement by the President:  —  "I am pleased with the agreements reached today at the six-party talks in Beijing.  These talks represent the best opportunity to use diplomacy to address North Korea's nuclear programs.

Army Giving More Waivers in Recruiting  —  The number of waivers granted to Army recruits with criminal backgrounds has grown about 65 percent in the last three years, increasing to 8,129 in 2006 from 4,918 in 2003, Department of Defense records show.  —  During that time …

Newspaper: Questions in death of ground zero worker  —  NEW YORK Questions are being raised about the story of a New York City police officer whose death sparked wide interest in the plight of ailing September Eleventh first responders.  —  The New York Times says Officer Cesar Borja …

Rep. Ellison calls the cops to snuff Tancredo's cigar  —  Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) believes it is his right as a Muslim to be sworn into Congress with the Quran.  But apparently, the freshman lawmaker doesn't believe it's Rep. Tom Tancredo's (R-Colo.) right to smoke a cigar in his congressional office.

In 1993 Memo, Giuliani Staff Gave Harsh Assessment of Flaws  —  Sometimes in politics, the most damaging accusations come from your own staff.  —  Rudolph W. Giuliani learned that lesson again yesterday when a "vulnerability study," including warnings about his "weirdness factor" …

On Fla. Menus, a Favorite Fish Experiences Identity Theft  —  MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. — What the undercover agents ordered, over and over, was the grouper.  —  What wound up on their plates could stifle anyone's appetite.  —  The alleged grouper at 17 of 24 area restaurants sampled …

Poll shows Clinton, Giuliani pull ahead ias campaigns kick off  —  WASHINGTON — New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani have widened leads over their rivals in recent weeks as they began to openly campaign for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations …

Ready to aim  —  ARMED AMERICA: THE STORY OF HOW AND WHY GUNS BECAME AS AMERICAN AS APPLE PIE  —  By Clayton E. Cramer, Nelson Current, $26.99, 320 pages  —  In 1996, Michael Bellesiles published a paper in the Journal of American History.  The thesis: Early Americans rarely owned firearms …

The Ever-'Present' Obama  —  Barack has a along track record of not taking a stand.  —  Finally and officially, Barack Obama is running for president.  His symbolic announcement, in the Land of Lincoln, called for a new era in politics.  Obama downplayed his thin federal experience …